Invincible
Fine Line Features | Release Date: September 20, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Watching Invincible was a singular experience for me, because it reminded me of the fundamental power that the cinema had for us when we were children. The film exercises the power that fable has for the believing. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
The period is evoked with care and imagination, and the film glows with Peter Zeitlinger's cinematography. It has some bravura images and surreal moments typical of Herzog, and composers Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt have contributed a lovely score. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen Holden
If Invincible is soft at the center, its visual grandeur and mostly full-blooded performances make it gripping, for this eminent German director has pulled off the tricky feat of elevating a true story into a larger-than-life allegory. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
An extraordinary story uniquely suited to Herzog's abilities, it eventually becomes easy to accept Ahola as a nearly mute witness to the obsessives around him, most immediately Tim Roth in a striking performance as Ahola's employer. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ. R. Jones
Though Ahola's acting is unschooled, to say the least, Herzog shrewdly uses his blunt sincerity to counterpoint Roth's spectacularly icy performance. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Half-baked Herzog, though it has twinkles of theatrical purity that remind you of when his vision was grand. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Invincible lacks Herzog's usual visual and intellectual panache, and is afflicted by weak English-language acting, which makes it more of a career curio than a major work. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Erratically acted and, at times, clumsily written. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Is a mellowed Herzog to be believed? Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Invincible works, simply but provocatively, as a parable about the oppressed and the oppressors, victimhood and fanaticism. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn Dumpert
A wonderful movie. For every misstep there are the sublime expressions of agony and ecstasy of which Herzog is a master. Read full review
60
Film ThreatRichard Cline
There are some realistic, scary themes at work here that make it worth a look. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Herzog has certainly found a fascinating subject, but he does surprisingly little with it, especially considering the 135- minute running time. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
A strange but oddly memorable film. Read full review
40
VarietyDavid Stratton
This potentially intriguing story winds up being dull and at times faintly silly. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Steers clear of historical accuracy. Herzog is obviously looking for a moral to his fable, but the notion that a strong, unified showing among Germany and Eastern European Jews might have changed 20th-Century history is undermined by Ahola's inadequate performance. Read full review
40
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
What's more disappointing is how filthy Invincible is with missed opportunities for Herzog to be Herzog. Read full review
25
New York PostV.A. Musetto
It's depressing to see how far Herzog has fallen. Read full review
20
New Times (L.A.)Jean Oppenheimer
The predominantly amateur cast is painful to watch, so stilted and unconvincing are the performances. Poor Roth has nobody to play against and flounders in trying to keep the ship upright. Herzog aims for a kind of operatic sweep that he fails to achieve. Read full review
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